


Disney Magic

by thegirlinthebandtshirt



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Awkward Flirting, Bad Flirting, Characters Watching Disney Movies, Disney, Disney Songs, F/M, Fluff, Love at First Sight
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-19 11:51:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10639278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegirlinthebandtshirt/pseuds/thegirlinthebandtshirt
Summary: A Disney-obsessed man moves next door to Emma. She is sick of hearing his music blasted at the most inappropriate times, but it might be the best thing that's ever happened to her.





	1. Sing-A-Long

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a Disney-obsessed friend of mine. I hope you enjoy this cuteness! Let me know if you want more!

Emma pressed her back against her door, letting out a sigh of exhaustion and relief as soon as she shut it behind her. What a night. She pulled an all-nighter to catch her newest mark. An all-nighter in her tightest, shortest dress and her tallest, most uncomfortable heels, which she also had to sprint half a mile in when her mark started running. So what if she might have broken one of his fingers stepping on it with her heel? He deserved it. Upon entering her apartment, the first thing she did was unhook the buckles on her heels so she could step out of them. The feeling of her cold tiled floor was entirely welcome on her aching, sore bare feet. She reached behind her and unzipped the back of the tiny pink cloth that barely passed as a dress; she stripped it off before she even reached her bedroom. Finally slouching and breathing comfortably, Emma searched her drawers for her fuzziest, comfiest pajamas. Settling on a fluffy robe, she wrapped it around her body and sunk down into her mattress. She was more than ready to sleep the entire day away. The all-nighter may have been uncomfortable and exhausting, but she had a decent payday. Knowing she had nothing on her agenda for the next day, Emma let herself relax under her comforter, fully intending on not waking up for at least twelve hours. It took all of a minute for her to succumb willingly to sleep.

Emma was awoken by loud noise - not by an alarm or ringtone, but sound coming from her neighbor’s apartment. She pressed a pillow to her ears to dull the noise as she groaned. The walls of her apartment were way too thin, and her new neighbor had a very eclectic taste of music. Normally she could put on her own music or turn on the TV to drown out the sound coming from the apartment next to hers, but she was not in the mood to deal with any noise from anywhere. She considered banging on the wall connecting her apartment to her neighbor’s, but she had enough sense in her sleepy state to talk herself out of ruining another person’s day just because she was grumpy from lack of sleep. She rolled onto her side and dug through her bedside drawer; she could’ve sworn she had some earplugs stashed in there - just in case. She sighed in defeat when her search ended up fruitless. She leaned on her side, one ear pressed into her pillow, as she brought her other pillow up to cover her other ear. She suddenly regretted not purchasing new pillows when she first noticed her current ones becoming flat. Despite the cover of her pillows, she could still hear her neighbor’s music, and, oh joy, he decided to sing along.  


“I’m gonna be a mighty king, so enemies beware!” Emma was a sucker for a good Disney movie, and a good Disney sing along, but she really, really needed her sleep. She rolled her eyes and huffed as she grabbed her blanket and a pillow and relocated to her couch. Emma’s apartment was joined with the adjacent by her bedroom and bathroom walls. Her living room was further away from her neighbor’s blaring music, so she thought she could relocate and get some much needed rest. However, even after shuffling around for a minute trying to get comfy on her couch, she could still hear a faint,  


“I’m gonna be the mane event like no king was before. I’m brushing up on looking down, I’m working on my roar.” And goddammit, her neighbor fucking roared. Emma huffed out a breath and sat up on her couch. She figured she might as well give up getting some extra sleep because her neighbor clearly had no intention of stopping his one man show next door. Emma sat in definitely-not-silence as she pondered what to do with her day since sleep was out of the question. “No one saying do this.” Emma raked her fingers through her hair to try to untangle some of the rather tight knots that made themselves a home while she slept. “No one saying be there.” Emma’s hand stilled in her hair; she could’ve sworn her neighbor sang Nala’s line in a higher pitch. “No one saying stop that.” How ironic - that’s exactly what Emma wanted to tell him right now. Emma chose to ignore the song stylings of her neighbor in favor of some food; since she was awake, she might as well eat something. She grabbed a box of Froot Loops from her cabinet and a bowl from the one next to it. She poured the cereal before putting the half-empty box back where it came from. She dragged the bowl across her counter until she was at the refrigerator, in which she found just enough milk for a perfect bowl of cereal. She took a clean-enough spoon from her sink and began stirring her cereal, unconsciously humming as she did so. “Everybody look left,” Emma took a bite of cereal and continued humming with her mouth full, “everybody look right.” She swallowed her first spoonful and migrated over to her kitchen table, prancing along quietly to the music.  


Emma lifted the spoon to her mouth and sang, “oh, I just can’t wait to be king!” before shoving the cereal from the spoon into her mouth. Emma continued to bob her head to the music, quietly singing along between bites through “Hakuna Matata” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” She also continued to be completely oblivious to the fact that she was doing so.

  


Emma wasn’t feeling well - at all. She went to bed with a headache and stuffy nose, and she woke up feeling even worse. Her head felt like it was being jackhammered, she was congested beyond belief, her throat was sore as Hell, and every limb was aching. She could barely sit up without whining in misery. Emma dragged herself to her bathroom to seek out some medication - anything to help take away the suffering. She settled for some Advil and cough drops, taking ahold of each to bring back to her bedroom so she wouldn’t have to make the trip again; she was definitely not getting out of bed if she could help it. She collapsed onto her mattress the second she got back. Emma popped a cough drop into her mouth and propped up her pillows so she could breathe in her sleep. Emma complained to no one as she settled into an almost comfortable position so she could hopefully sleep off whatever plague got her this time. Emma, drugged up on medication, got back to sleep fairly simply; however, staying asleep was a whole different issue. 

Emma didn’t wake up naturally - that much she knew. At first, she couldn’t figure out what the culprit was. Then, Emma sat up against her pillows and leaned her head back against the wall, which is when she heard,  


“Have some of column A. Try all of column B. I’m in the mood to help you, dude. You ain’t never had a friend like me.” Emma’s groan turned into a coughing fit, which only made her want to groan even more. She cursed under her breath at the fact that she never bought earplugs after the last time her neighbor interrupted her sleep. It was one thing for her sleep to be interrupted when she was feeling alright, other than being completely exhausted, but now she was miserable and she just wanted to sleep so she wouldn’t feel so sick. She definitely wasn’t getting up and moving to the couch to escape the noise, so she figured she’d busy herself in bed until it died down. She checked Instagram and Twitter while her neighbor continued his singing, oblivious to her misery, “Mister Aladdin, sir, have a wish or two or three.”  


“I wish you’d shut up and let me sleep,” Emma muttered under her breath. Despite her wish, the nuisance only got louder as her neighbor began his big finish,  


“You ain't never had a friend, never had a friend, you ain't never had a friend, never had a friend, you ain't never had a friend like me. You ain't never had a friend like me, ha!” Emma swore she heard his feet against the floor as he moved (danced?) around his room. She rolled her eyes at the idea, thinking his downstairs neighbor was probably almost as fed up as she was. She put her phone back on the bedside table as she buried herself in her blanket to try to get back to sleep before he put on another song. Lucky for Emma, he did not do an encore. 

  


Emma grabbed the popcorn bag from her microwave, tossing it on the counter next to the bowl as she underestimated the temperature of the bag. She muttered a quick “ow!” before using only the tips of her fingers to open the bag to pour the popcorn into the bowl. There was finally a new episode of her favorite show, _Once Upon a Time_ , and Emma could not wait to return to Storybrooke every Sunday night. It had been a long hiatus, as it always is, and she was more than ready to find out what happened to her favorite Disney characters. She set the bowl of popcorn next to where she sat on the bed waiting for the show to return. She tossed a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it with her mouth. She repeated the activity, only missing four pieces, which she ate after they fell to the bed, until she heard the television announcer introduce the start of the midseason premiere. She turned the volume on her television slightly louder than it probably should have been, but her neighbors could deal with it for an hour. Emma was entranced for the first fifteen minutes before her viewing was interrupted by noise coming from behind her. Oh, hell no.  


“Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me!” Oh. Hell. No. Emma could put up with losing a couple hours of sleep and being woken up by her neighbor’s karaoke sessions, but not during her favorite show. She turned the volume up on her television to compete with the shanty coming from the next apartment. When the volume of her show was louder than the volume of her neighbor’s singing, she sat back and grinned smugly, enjoying the next few minutes of the show until, “we’re rascals and scoundrels. We’re villains and knaves. Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho!” Her neighbor turned up his stereo and started singing louder, even adopting a pirate-sounding accent. Emma’s eyes narrowed in anger and she turned up her television volume up louder. “We’re devils and black sheep. We’re really bad eggs. Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho!” Her tv was starting to get dangerously loud as the volume bar on the side of her screen got higher and higher; she was actually starting to hurt her ears. She hit the button on her remote to tape the rest of the show as she turned the television off and moved to her living room. Alas, her relocation was useless as she could still hear her neighbor’s blaring music. Emma left her popcorn on the couch as she gave up trying to watch her show. Instead, she was treated to an unwelcome concert from her neighbor. “Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me! We’re beggars and blighters and ne’er do-well cads. Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho! Aye, but we’re loved by our mommies and dads. Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho!” Emma rolled her eyes at the man in the adjacent apartment, but sighed happily when he turned down his stereo after the song ended. She made her way back to her room and watched the rest of her show in peace. Emma unconsciously sang a little “yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me” as she brushed her teeth before she went to sleep. That night, she dreamt of pirates and adventures on the sea. 

 

  


Emma was off work for a month. An entire month with no marks to catch. No sleazy guy to dress uncomfortably slutty for, and no all-night stakeouts in her yellow Bug. Not only did she have a whole month off, but she had made enough money in the previous weeks that she could afford to live stably for the month. She could even afford to splurge a bit and buy herself a bottle of her favorite wine. Emma grinned as she opened it, ready to enjoy a month of Netflix and reading on the couch or in bed. She hummed happily to herself as she downed her second glass of wine while she flipped through the Netflix home screen on the television in her bedroom to find something to watch. Emma continued humming, her tune changing from “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” to “A Whole New World” as she heard,  


“I can show you the world. Shining, shimmering, splendid.” Emma didn’t even realize the song came from the apartment next to hers until she paused her Netflix browsing and listened. “Tell me, Princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?” Some part of Emma registered that the main voice she heard wasn’t Aladdin’s, but the voice was amazing; her neighbor could really sing. Emma pressed her ear against the wall to hear more. “I can open your eyes, take you wonder by wonder over, sideways and under on a magic carpet ride.” Emma was enchanted. She wasn’t sure if it was her good mood, or the wine, or a combination of both causing her to take the interruption as more welcome, but suddenly she didn’t hate hearing her neighbor’s music and singing. He continued, oblivious to his audience, “a whole new world, a new fantastic point of view. No one to tell us no or where to go or say we're only dreaming.” She waited for him to continue, but she quickly realized that he wasn’t singing Jasmine’s part.  


Without thinking, Emma opened her mouth and started singing, “but when I'm way up here it's crystal clear that now I'm in a whole new world with you.” Aladdin’s next line went unsung. Emma’s cheeks grew hot as she realized she probably startled him. Surely he knew other people could hear him singing - right? She even considered that he always sang so loudly on purpose, but his lack of a response challenged that thought. She wanted to hear him sing more (for once), and she needed him to keep singing so that she knew she wasn’t totally out of her mind when she joined him. To encourage him, she sang Jasmine’s next line, “Unbelievable sights, indescribable feeling. Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling through an endless diamond sky.” Emma took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut before continuing. “A whole new world!”  
Her neighbor cleared his throat and hesitated as he picked up Aladdin’s line. “Don’t you dare close your eyes.”  


Emma’s turn: “a hundred thousand things to see.”  


The neighbor responded, “hold your breath; it gets better.”  


“I'm like a shooting star. I've come so far. I can't go back to where I used to be.” Emma opened her eyes and sighed as she kept singing. He seemed to be more confident singing his parts back to her.  


“A whole new world!” Emma smiled as her neighbor belted out his line; this encouraged her to be a bit braver with her own delivery.  


“Every turn a surprise.”  


“With new horizons to pursue.”  


“Every moment red letter.” Emma bit her bottom lip as she awaited the next line: the first line they would sing together. She closed her eyes again as she focused on the music.  


“I'll chase them anywhere. There's time to spare. Let me share this whole new world with you.” Emma was pleased to find he joined her. She couldn’t help grinning as they sang in unison, and she had to admit, they didn’t sound so bad together.  


He continued excitedly, seemingly energized from their harmony. “A whole new world!”  


“A whole new world,” she answered.  


“That’s where we’ll be.”  


She opened her eyes and repeated the line the same way he sang it originally. “That’s where we’ll be.”  


“A thrilling chase.”  


“A wondrous place.”  


And again in unison: “for you and me.” Both apartments were silent after the music ended. Emma sighed contently as she leaned back against her headboard. She reflected on what just happened; “magical” was the only word that came to mind. She reached for her glass of wine and noticed that her hand was just barely trembling. Wow. She tried to shake herself out of it as she brought the glass to her lips, ignoring her shaking hands and taking a sip. She finished the glass and got up to put it back in the kitchen; she didn’t need the wine so much anymore. She was halfway back to her room when there was a knock on her door. She never got company, so she anxiously tiptoed to the door. She stood on her toes to look out the peephole to see who was there. Outside her door was a man, furiously rubbing at the back of his neck. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him before, so she reached behind her and grabbed her umbrella to use as a weapon, just in case she needed it. She unlocked her door slowly and peeked out from behind it as she opened it. The man’s head jerked upward and their eyes locked for the first time. Her guest had the most amazing eyes she had ever seen; they were a sparkling light azure blue, and they were so very clear. She opened the door the rest of the way, keeping her eyes on his. He was the first one to break the eye contact by looking down at the floor. The hand from behind his neck moved to scratch at a spot behind his ear.  


“Can I help you?” Emma dropped the umbrella and kicked it to the side. It was pretty obvious this guy wasn’t going to try anything.  


“So you’re my Disney princess?” Emma’s eyes widened as she realized - this must be her neighbor.  


She extended her hand toward him. “Emma Swan.” This seemed to relax him considerably. One arm dropped to his side as the other reached toward her to shake her hand.  


“So not my Jasmine. More like the Swan Princess.” He crossed his arms and leaned against her doorframe. So it turned out Emma’s neighbor was extremely handsome. She scanned him quickly as he shifted his position. He had black hair falling perfectly onto the right side of his forehead, and delicious-looking ginger scruff; he was dressed in black jeans, a white v-neck, which exposed an unfair amount of dark chest hair, and an unbuttoned red plaid shirt. He could pull the casual look off better than any man Emma had ever been with. He stilled, so Emma responded to his comment.  


“Actually more like the Ugly Duckling,” Emma looked at the floor to hide her shy grin. Emma couldn’t believe she was getting so flustered over a guy.  


“Rather far from ugly.” It was Emma’s turn to cross her arms; she tried to come off as cooler than she was, especially with the way her heart was racing.  


“Are you flirting with me?” She raised her eyebrows as she looked up to meet his eyes.  


He shrugged. “It’s not everyday my beautiful neighbor completes my duet.” As if he wasn’t hot enough already, he also had an accent. Emma was so enchanted by her neighbor’s physical appearance, she hadn’t even noticed the accent until now.  


“The song sounded empty without both parts.” She shrugged. The man across from her straightened into a stiff, standing position at the realization that he hadn’t introduced himself yet.  


“Ah, I’m Killian. Killian Jones.” Well, damn, that’s a hot name. “You, uh, you have a nice voice.”  


Emma blushed. “Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.”  


“Thank you, lass.” Killian smiled timidly, “I’ll be honest, I didn’t know anyone could hear me.”  


“The walls are pretty thin here. How long have you lived here and you haven’t figured that out?”  


“I’m not really used to living in a flat in such close quarters with others.” No one said anything. “I did notice you turn your telly up quite loud a couple months ago. I thought you were just excited about your show, but then I couldn’t hear my music.”  


“I could.” Killian’s cheeks turned cherry red.  


“Apologies. I just wanted to hear my song. I never meant to disturb anyone.” His genuine apology almost made her feel bad for her fury she felt against him that night - almost.  


“It’s fine. Just, now you know.”  


“Perhaps we could sing together another time?” His pink tongue swiped across his lips to moisten them. “Maybe, maybe not from separate rooms.”  


“Are you asking me out?”  


“Depends. What do you say?” She couldn’t help but smile at the hope in his eyes. She tried to think of something witty to say, but he interrupted, “I could show you the world.” He smirked. Emma’s witty response flew from her brain and she couldn’t help but laugh at his attempt at a cheesy pick-up line.  


“I wouldn’t say no to a magic carpet ride.” She really didn't get out much; it might be nice to get a decent meal with a potential friend.  


“Well, I don’t have a magic carpet, but I can definitely take you to a wondrous place.” He winked. The fucker winked. Emma almost swooned, but the awful innuendo kept her grounded.  


“That was bad.”  


“Yeah. I promise to make it up to you at dinner.”  


“Dinner? I didn’t say yes yet.”  


He raised his right eyebrow in silent question, which he then decided to voice. “Yet? You were going to say yes?”  


“Yes.”  


“Wait, is that a yes you were going to say yes, or a yes to the date?” His brows furrowed in confusion.  


She grinned smugly. “Yes.” Killian knew not to press the issue more in fear of changing her response.  


“Pick you up at seven?”  


“Sounds...” Emma paused and her smug grin turned into a smirk. “Splendid.” He chuckled.  


“See you then, my princess.” He took her hand in his and kissed the top of it before wiggling his eyebrows at her as he entered his own apartment, pulling the door shut behind him. She went back into her apartment, slightly confused at what just happened, but mostly anxious and excited for her date with her Aladdin from next door.


	2. Dates and Midnight Snacks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Killian go on their date and continue their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly some cute, Disney-referencing nonsense. Enjoy!

Emma smoothed out the skirt of her light pink dress and answered the door when a very punctual Killian knocked on it the second her clocks turned to 7:00.  


“Hello, my princess.” He pulled his left hand from behind his back, extending a single red rose out to Emma. “Or rather, my Beauty.”  


“Hello yourself, though you aren’t so beastly.” She took the rose and spun around to put it in a vase - well, a cup. She told him to wait at the door as she pulled out her favorite mug and filled it with water before sticking the rose inside. She placed it on her kitchen table and sprinted back to where Killian was patiently waiting for her at the door. She eyed him as she slipped her heels on; he was wearing a black button-down shirt and black slacks. He traded his plaid for a black leather jacket, and it looked like he even slicked back his hair slightly. “Definitely not a beast.” He raised an eyebrow in silent question. “Prince Charming? Yeah, that works.”  


“So does that make you my Cinderella?” She linked her elbow through his offered arm.  


“I- I don’t know. Maybe I’m just Emma.” They walked toward the elevator, arm-in-arm.  


“Okay, just Emma. Though you do look stunning tonight.”  


“Thanks.” Emma’s voice was quiet as she stared at the ground. So maybe Emma was blushing a little. “Um, where are we going?”  


“Do you like Italian food?”  


“Sure. That sounds great.” Killian led them into the elevator as soon as the doors opened. He commented again on how beautiful she looked when they stepped into the elevator. She thanked him and commented on how handsome he looked in his all-black outfit. They walked in strangely comfortable silence to Killian’s car.  


“Not exactly a magic carpet or a horse-drawn carriage, but it will take us where we want to go.” Killian scratched at a spot behind his ear.  


Emma didn’t know what else to say, so she examined the car and said, “I like it.” Killian dropped his hand to his side and walked Emma to the passenger’s side. He opened the door for her, and closed it when she was safely inside. He took a deep breath as he walked around back to the driver’s side. Emma initiated the conversation after Killian started driving. “So, where are you from? I know you’re new to the complex.”  


“London.” He didn’t take his eyes off the road.  


“Why’d you move here of all places?”  


“I was living with my brother, who just got engaged. Needless to say, he didn’t want his younger brother around the house any longer. I knew I wanted to move to the states, so I grabbed a map and pointed. The only condition was I had to live near the water. And here I am.”  


“What do you - ”  


“No, no, no. My turn.” His index finger wagged back and forth as he continued gripping the steering wheel.  


“I wasn’t aware we were taking turns.” Emma crossed her arms in her seat.  


“You learned something about me. Now I’d like to learn something about you.” He finally turned his head so she could meet those blue eyes.  


“Fair enough. What’s your question?”  


“What does a lass like you do for a living? You’ve made it quite clear you aren’t a princess, though I beg to differ.” She was slightly disappointed to watch him turn his focus back onto the road.  


“I’m a bail bondsperson. Bail bondswoman? Either way, I catch people who don’t want to be found.”  


“That’s quite interesting. Do you enjoy it?” Emma didn’t hate her job, but she could really do with something slightly less degrading than parading around in short outfits pretending to be into all the sleazeballs she’s after. She settled for an, “I guess so.” It was Emma’s turn to ask a question. “What do you do?”  


“I work at the docks. I repair and restore boats.”  


“That’s actually pretty cool.”  


“I love sailing. My brother used to take me sailing every other weekend. And I saved up for my own boat, which I maintained all on my own.” Killian proceeded to tell Emma about his boat back home, “The Jolly Roger,” and how he was working with his brother to send it over. Emma never thought she’d be interested in boat maintenance, but he could say anything in that accent and she’d hang onto every word. Still, besides the accent, she had to admit his boating stories were pretty neat. When they arrived at the restaurant, he opened the car door for her, then pulled out her chair for her at their table. What a gentleman.  


“This is a really nice restaurant,” Emma remarked as she looked around the dining area, taking in her surroundings.  


“Have you ever been here before?”  


“Nope.” Emma could never afford to come to a place like this. She self-consciously scanned the menu.  


“Me neither. But it had quite a few good reviews.” Emma kept her eyes on the menu; Killian kept his eyes on her. “See anything you might like?”  


“Yeah. Everything on here looks amazing.” They looked at their menus in almost silence, only muttering comments here and there about items on the menu as they decided on their orders. Emma decided on a simple pasta dish: spaghetti with marinara sauce. Killian went with shrimp scampi. He ordered some red wine for them to share, and they made small talk while they waited for their food to come. Emma was surprised at the extent to which he opened up to her, but oddly enough, she reciprocated; she just felt like she could trust him. His clear blue eyes were filled with such understanding. He told her that his mother died when he was young, and that his father was hardly around, so his older brother, Liam, was largely responsible for raising him. Liam introduced Killian to Disney shortly after their mother died, which is why he still loved it as much as he did today. Killian even named his pets after Disney characters; he had a fish named Peter and a fish with half his left fin missing named Hook. Emma told Killian how she was an orphan, how she never really had parents; she was left on a roadside just hours after she was born. She got interested in Disney when she started living on her own at sixteen after she ran away from yet another group home. They were sharing a serious moment after discussing their tragic pasts when their food came. Emma figured it was about time she change the mood. “Can I confess something sorta embarrassing?”  


“Of course, Swan. And I promise, no judgement.” He stabbed one of his shrimp with his fork.  


“I may have always wanted to do something. And it’s pasta related.” He popped the shrimp in his mouth and motioned for her to go on. “You know _Lady and the Tramp_?” The corners of his lips curled upward into a smile. “Well, the scene where they end up sharing a strand of spaghetti is on my relationship bucket list.” She refused to meet his eyes out of embarrassment. She had no idea why she admitted that to him; she had known the guy less than a day - why would she tell him that?!  


“Forgive me if I’m too forward.” She forced her eyes to meet his. “But I would be happy to participate.” Emma sat in silence as she thought about it; he took her silence as negative. He quickly added, “but only if you want.” Emma still said nothing. “I just thought your telling me was a hint.” Emma had to say something to stop Killian from rambling.  


“No, you were right. I just… I can’t believe I admitted that.” She looked at the man sitting across from her. “You really want to try that with me?”  


“Who better to act out an iconic Disney scene with than my very own Disney princess?” He quickly corrected himself. “Not princess. Sorry.”  


“It’s okay. Um, you’re positive?”  


“Aye.”  


Emma lifted a single strand of spaghetti up with her fork. “Okay, I guess you take this end,” she watched him grab his end, “and I take this end. And we-” Emma didn’t finish her thought aloud as she took her end and wrapped her lips around it. Fighting the urge to laugh, she nodded lightly to him as she felt resistance on the noodle as he sucked on his end, trying to pull her closer. She did the same to her end, slowly working her way further up the noodle to where he held the other end in his mouth. She had to stand up when the noodle threatened to leave her mouth, and she leaned over the table as she worked her mouth over the pasta. He stood up and met her in the middle, the spaghetti between both their lips getting smaller and smaller. In an effort to bring her face closer to his, he increased the suction on the pasta, which only resulted in Emma’s end flying from her mouth and smacking Killian in the face, splattering marinara sauce from his chin to his cheekbones. Emma couldn’t stop laughing as she sat back down and Killian frantically grabbed for his napkin. “Sorry about that.” Emma took the napkin from him and wiped some of the sauce splatters he missed from his face.  


“That was much more difficult than the pups made it seem.” He chuckled as she cleaned his face. She gave him the napkin back. “Thank you, Swan.”  


“Thanks for trying that with me.” Emma was still giggling.  


“So, can you cross that off your bucket list?” He took a forkful of his own pasta and shoveled it into his mouth.  


“I think so.” Emma picked up her fork and twirled her spaghetti around it.  


“So, what else is on your relationship bucket list?” Both of Killian’s eyebrows raised to his forehead.  


“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Emma took another bite, feeling smug.  


“Perhaps I would.” He bit off half the shrimp that was impaled on his fork. After he finished chewing, he asked, “would you consider going out with me again?”  


“We aren’t even done dinner yet. That eager to get home?” She watched his cheeks turn a rosy pink.  


“I - I didn’t mean to rush tonight. I just, I’m having a nice time. And I like you, Swan. I was worried that if I didn’t ask now, I wouldn’t have the nerve.” He ate another forkful of thin noodles as his other hand darted up to scratch at his ear. Emma was glad she wasn’t the only one who was nervous, so she tried to make him feel better.  


“You’re lucky I like you too.” He smiled nervously. “And that is a ‘yes’ to another date.”  


“I suppose I should start thinking of more Disney references for the next date soon, huh?”  


“I’ve got one.” Killian raised his eyebrows as if to ask her what; she was starting to notice how animated he is with those thick eyebrows of his. Emma leaned in closer to Killian, feeling her cheeks grow warm before locking eyes with him and speaking quietly. “Kiss the girl.” She noticed the way his eyes drifted to her lips briefly before they closed as he leaned forward to capture her lips with his. She closed her eyes at the contact and followed his lead. Maybe suggesting a kiss after she ate her pasta with marinara sauce and he ate his shrimp pasta, both of which contained garlic, wasn’t the greatest timing in the world, but the kiss was incredible nonetheless. Emma could feel the electricity running through them both, even as they broke the kiss. Emma has seen enough Disney movies to know the signs of True Love’s Kiss, and although she never thought she’d ever experience it for herself (not that she didn’t hope, but she knew her odds weren’t good), she knew that what she just shared with Killian without a doubt met all the criteria for a True Love’s Kiss. She could tell by Killian’s wide-eyed, slack-jawed expression that he felt the same. She tried to ignore the feeling of love at first sight she got from Killian after they had met that afternoon, but Emma couldn’t possibly ignore the signs anymore. That feeling, combined with the most amazing kiss of her life, made her feel like she was indeed a princess in one of those Disney movies she and Killian loved so much. And for the first time in her life, Emma thought she might actually get her happily ever after, after all. 

 

Killian took Emma out again. And then another time. She took him out next. Then he took her out once again. It took about seven more dates before they took advantage of the fact that they lived next to each other. It became nightly routine for them to wish each other goodnight through their shared bedroom wall, at least when Emma was home. Sometimes he would stay up until she got home, and they would continue their routine at an ungodly hour. Occasionally, he would invite her over when she got in. He often watched for her out of the peephole in his door; if he saw she was injured, he would use his first aid kit to patch her up to the best of his ability. She always told him it was no big deal, but he always got a bad taste in his mouth when he thought about how she got the scrapes and bruises. 

On this particular night, Emma got home from work at a normal hour (for once), but she was so tired from chasing her mark, she practically collapsed when she walked into her apartment. She shimmied out of her tight dress and pulled on fuzzy pants and an oversized t-shirt. She crawled into her bed and knocked on the wall behind her headboard.  


“Goodnight, Killian.”  


He knocked back. “It’s only 9:30. Busy night?” Emma sat up against her will and moved her mouth closer to the wall.  


“Chased him probably forty blocks. In four-inch heels.” She pressed her ear against the wall so she could hear his reply.  


“Wow. Impressive. Hope you got paid a lot.”  


She shrugged even though he couldn’t see her. “Decent payday.”  


There was a pause before he spoke next. “Do you need anything?” That was amazingly sweet of him to ask.  


“No. I think I’m just going to sleep. But thanks.”  


“Alright, Swan. Sweet dreams.”  


“Night, Killian.” She let her head sink down into her pillow as she closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

 

Emma looked at the clock when she was awoken: 2:24 AM.  


She muttered under her breath, “what the hell?” Then she heard a knock on her wall.  


“Swan? Swan, are you awake?”  


“Killian? Are you alright?” Emma’s eyes widened and her breathing became shallow. Why was Killian up so early? Why was he banging on her wall? What if something happened to him?  


“I’m alright.” Oh thank goodness. “Couldn’t sleep.”  


“So you woke me up?! Go the fuck to sleep!” Suddenly she was angered that he wouldn’t let her sleep. He knew what a long night she had.  


“I heard movement. I thought you were already up. I’m sorry.” He sounded genuinely apologetic. She could practically see his pout and puppy dog eyes. She could never stay mad at that.  


“It’s okay. Um, why can’t you sleep?” Emma sat up and leaned her head back against the wall; clearly she wasn’t getting back to sleep in the next few minutes.  


“I don’t know. But now I’m hungry, and that isn’t helping. Do you want to go out and get something?”  


“It’s almost 2:30 in the morning, Killian. Where do you expect to go?”  


“We can get tacos. Or pancakes. There’s the 24-hour diner.”  


Emma was definitely not going anywhere at this hour. “I’m not going out now.”  


“Oh. Okay.” She could hear the disappointment in his voice.  


Emma rolled her eyes. “Go make yourself a snack.”  


“I can’t,” he said softly and quickly.  


“Why not?”  


“All I have is tuna fish.”  


“So? You like tuna fish.” In the past few weeks, she had seen him eat more seafood than she’s ever eaten in her entire life.  


“I can’t,” he repeated.  


“Killian, why not?” She tried to hide her frustration even though had every right to be grumpy - he woke her up after a very long night.  


“Peter and Hook.”  


Emma sighed. “What about them?”  


“They’re staring at me.”  


“They’re fish. What else are they supposed to do?”  


“I can’t eat tuna in front of them. Do you know what tuna is?”  


“Killian-”  


“It’s fish!” He raised his voice considerably.  


“K-”  


“If I ate tuna in front of Peter and Hook, I’d be an abomination!” Normally, Emma would love the Lilo and Stitch reference, but it was 2:30 AM and she just wanted to get back to sleep. Emma sighed as she ripped the covers from over her so she could walk to her kitchen. Killian was oblivious to the fact that she had gotten up, as he kept trying to talk to her through their wall. “Swan! Swan? Swan, are you there?” Meanwhile, Emma grabbed the peanut butter jar from her pantry and stormed over to the apartment next to hers. She pounded her fist on the door carefully, so she didn’t wake her other neighbors. She heard Killian scrambling through his apartment to get to the door. It was a pretty funny mental image; she could imagine him running around in the dark, trying not to run into things. When he finally opened the door, she thrust the peanut butter toward him before he could even greet her.  


“Here.”  


“Em- wait, what?” His eyes switched between Emma and the jar in her hand.  


“You said you couldn’t eat a tuna fish sandwich, so make a peanut butter one.” He took the jar and she headed back to her own apartment before he could even thank her. Shutting her door quickly to keep Killian from following her and keeping her up any longer, Emma ran a hand through her hair and grumbled to herself as she shuffled her feet until she was back in her bed. Sighing contently, she lied down and attempted to fall back into her deep slumber. Killian’s interruption had awoken her far longer than she wanted, giving her body a chance to wake up. It took her about half an hour to calm down enough to almost fall asleep again. Just as she was about to drift off, she heard a soft, weak little “thank you” from the other side of the wall. Letting her eyes flutter shut, she grinned smugly and fell asleep.


End file.
